Investigators claim that identity theft is just a ‘branch’ crime and a ‘getaway vehicle’ of a bigger crime. The number of identity theft cases linked to a more serious offense like robbery and even murder is increasing. The process is simple especially in planned crimes.

For a few weeks or even months, you may be monitored by the identity thieves and try to find a way to steal your identity. Your personal mails both electronic and the postal mail, your credit card, or any other means to get your personal information are recorded and retrieved in due time.

The profile- your profile- is then connected to the planned crime such as robbery. There were complex cases such as online or wire transfers in which your account is used to intercept the transaction. Your personal profile can also be linked to the case of say, murder, and ‘plant’ the evidence against you. This is usually done by identity thieves who are experts in identity theft.

The usual targets of identity theft to link with other crimes are those who have minor offenses and criminal records. It is easy to pin down these persons because they are already in the security radar. However, those with clean criminal records should not be lax. Everyone can be a victim.

Make sure that your personal information is kept safe. Monitor any unauthorized transaction, no matter how simple they may seem such as usage of your social networking site account.

Preventing identity theft need not be a daunting task for you. You also do not need to apply for protection or subscribe to anything. There are practical tips in preventing identity theft that can help you a lot and work for you.

1. Put safety locks on all your mailboxes. Never ever leave your mailbox open for everyone to access. Even if what are inside are just subscription magazines, make sure that you put a lock on your mailbox. Choose a heavy duty lock for this job.

2. Do not carry around all your credit cards. Choose your credit card with the least credit limit. Do not carry around your platinum credit cards as they are the best targets for credit card fraud. Carry what you will need for the day. And also, do not put your cards in your main wallet. Put them in a more secure place.

3. Be careful when making online purchases. Make sure that the website that you are a making a purchase is a legitimate website. Ask the website regarding their security system for your credit card. 

4. Change your passwords regularly. This is for all of your online accounts, even the social networking sites. Changing your passwords make sure that your stored password online are changed even if tried to retrieved by the identity thieves. Never use your birthdays for password or a password that resembles your name and initials.

5. Dispose of confidential and legal documents properly. You can either shred or burn these documents. Never dispose them in trash bins without destroying the documents first. Even if this information is old, they can still be used for their purposes.